Art Class
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: Modern AU. It's art class for the sixth form in Highbury High. Harriet is crying, Elton gets slapped and will George ever get rid off that embarrassing picture?


**Author's Note: my best friend has never seen Emma! So we spent the afternoon watching the first episode of the BBC version and when Emma asked Mr Elton about the human body being a good art form, our - well, ok, **_**my**_** - dirty immature teenage minds thought of something very different and this little fic was born. **

"I think the human body makes a wonderful art form, don't you?"

George Knightly choked on his own spit as he heard his best friend announce to the whole class room how she admired the human body. By the sounds of it Elton was doing the exact same thing only closer to Emma.

"I...erm...well...I...suppose so if you're interested in that sort of thing," Elton stammered.

George had got to see where this was going. It was the last class of the day for Emma, George had promised her that he would give her a lift in his new car and therefore he was stuck for an hour while Emma did her art class, and Elton had been making another attempt to sweep Emma off her feet. However George knew that Emma was oblivious to Elton's attentions and was trying to matchmake him to her best friend Harriet who was painting in silence beside her. Twisting in his seat and holding his book in a certain angle, George was set to watch Elton attempt to flirt with Emma.

"Oh, I am," Emma enthused, "I've been taking life drawing classes where I can draw the human body and learn how to capture all the muscles and elegant angles we have. I always appreciate the works of the Greeks and Romans, it must be difficult to get every detail so accurately in their sculpting and I am merely struggling to sketch the human body on paper. I plan to continue those life drawing classes until I have perfected the art, and then I was thinking of doing a portrait of Harriet, would you like a portrait of Harriet?"

George coughed to hide his laughter. He knew what Emma had meant; a little picture of Harriet dressed up in something nice, a small shred of evidence that Elton did fancy Harriet and not herself. They have a little bet running on it.

Emma had once made him sit through one of her life drawing classes. He had thought it was something innocent, people wearing costumes while others drew them, but he was very much mistaken. The teacher had thought Emma brought a model due to the lack of sketchbook in George's hands and hustled him away behind a screen before almost forcibly stripping his clothes off. Somewhere in the depths of Emma's art collection was a wobbly sketch of a naked George Knightly. Emma ruined it due to her constant giggling as she attempted to draw certain body parts.

It took him three weeks before he could even look at her let alone in the eye. If he won then she would burn that awful picture but if he lost then she got her chance at another.

Elton, being an art student himself, would know what life drawing classes meant and his facial expression told George that he was shocked at the idea. "You want to give me a nude picture of your best friend?"

Emma looked at Elton in disgust while Harriet let out a shriek of horror. "What? Good, god, Elton what is wrong with you? If you're that desperate buy a magazine." George didn't even bother to hide his laughter this time. "I meant a portrait of her dressed in a costume for god sake! And you can stop laughing George Edward Knightly!"

"Why on earth would I want a picture of Harriet Smith?" Elton demanded his face bright red and scowling. "If I wanted a portrait of someone it would most definitely not be someone like that airhead."

Harriet let out a little sob before running out of the room in tears. Emma glared at Elton with such a fury that George was surprised Elton hadn't died or burned already. "How dare you? Here I thought you were an intelligent man with the capability to care for someone who isn't academically bright and instead you're just an immature boy looking for a grope and some nakedness!"

There was then a loud cracking sound as Emma slapped Elton before storming out and searching for Harriet. George had given up all pretences of reading and continued to laugh, oh he did warn Emma that Elton had no interest in Harriet but did she listen? No. And now he won his little bet and got to see the prat-ish Elton gets slapped. It was a very good day.

By the time George found Emma, Harriet was dry-eyed and being walked home by Robert Martin while Emma was waiting for him patiently in the car park. "You can say I told you so when we actually get home," she said before he could open his mouth.

"Then I can tell Anne all about your mistake in the romantic lives of Highbury High as you hunt down that picture and burn it," George said cheerfully as they got into the car.

"Fine! But I want another wager and if I win then I can draw another life drawing of you," Emma said.

"God, why would you _want _to?" George asked. "It's embarrassing and rather objectifying!"

"Exactly, it will be the perfect blackmail material," Emma smirked. She flipped her blonde curls over her shoulder and looked at him from beneath her eye lashes. "Besides," she purred, "it's good _practise _and you know what they say practise makes perfect."

It was a very difficult and long drive home.


End file.
